Supporters gather at jail for Kentucky clerk held in gay marriage dispute

GRAYSON, Ky., Sept 5 (Reuters) - Around 200 supporters
gathered outside a Kentucky jail on Saturday to support a county
clerk held there for defying a federal judge's order to issue
marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, 49, who refused the licenses
due to her Christian belief that marriage can only be between a
man and a woman, said she was prepared to remain in jail where
she has been reading a Bible since her incarceration for
contempt on Thursday, her lawyers said.

On Saturday, a white banner spray-painted with the black
letters "Kim Davis POW" was placed near the jail entrance and a
bagpipe and drum corps from the American Society for the Defense
of Tradition, Family and Property played "You're a Grand Old
Flag" and marched to the detention center.

About 200 people gathered in a field across from the
entrance to the Carter County Detention Center in Grayson,
Kentucky where Mayor George Steele welcomed them "in the name of
God".

"God is going to continue to bless Kim Davis," Steele said
before leading the group in prayer.

In Davis's absence, on Friday, deputy clerks issued marriage
licenses to at least four same-sex couples at the offices in
Morehead, Kentucky, where rival groups of demonstrators
supporting Davis and the applicants protested outside.

Davis' lawyers have said they plan to appeal U.S. District
Judge David Bunning's contempt order, which has no expiration
date.

Bunning had ordered Davis in August to issue the licenses.
Her request for a stay of his order was denied by a U.S. appeals
court and by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, which represents
Davis, said he believes the licenses issued on Friday are
invalid because they lack her approval. He said Davis had no
intention of resigning as clerk or acting against her beliefs.

Davis, a member of the Apostolic Christian Church which
follows a literal interpretation of the Bible, has refused to
issue any marriage licenses since the U.S. Supreme Court in June
made gay marriage legal across the United States.

Her jailing has come to symbolize the cultural gap over gay
marriage in the United States. The fight over marriage licenses
for same-sex couples may not end in Kentucky. A number of judges
and clerks in Texas, Alabama and elsewhere have thrown up
roadblocks to same-sex marriage.

Emotions have run high on all sides. Davis, and an attorney
for one of the four couples said they had received death
threats. The judge also reportedly has received a death threat.
(Writing by David Bailey; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)